Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Kashmir Conflict

It is said that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually start to believe it. This is certainly the case in regards to Pakistan and its obsession with Kashmir. As a regular reader of Paki newspapers, im always surprised by the amount of lies and conspiracy theories that go unchallenged and are basically accepted as the gospel there.

I cant go into all of them otherwise this column will go on forever, but things like the so called "forgery" of the document of accession signed by the Maharaja unifying Jammu & Kashmir with India and ratified in the Kashmiri parliament by "Sher-e-Kashmir" Sheikh Abdullah, the popularly elected leader of Kashmir.

Other claims like that India invaded Kashmir when the fact is that it was the Pakistani army who first sent the so called "tribal lashkar" backed by Pakistani army commandos) into Kashmir to create an artificial uprising and pressure the Maharaja to hand over Kashmir to Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru and Lord Mountbatten only gave the order to airlift Indian troops and force back the invaders when they had nearly reached the outskirts of Srinager.

Then there's the UN resolutions that they claim India has refused to implement. First of all it was India that took the issue to the UN and its complaint against the Pakistani invasion was filed under chapter 6 of the UN charter which are only recommendations and non-binding. The resolution calls for the complete withdrawn of Pakistan troops (something they've never done) and a limited Indian presence should any plebiscite to be held. Another condition was that people's not residing in Kashmir prior to 1947 should leave immediately. Here once again Pakistan has attempted to change the demographics in its favour in any future referendum by encouraging Punjabi and tribal Pashtun immigrants to reside in these areas.

Then there the charges of human rights abuses by the Indian army. While it is true that many violations unfortunately did take place especially in the early days and sometimes still do considering there's still an insurgency going on, nonetheless much of it is baseless Pakistani propaganda and rhetoric. They never mention the fanatical jihadi's sent from the seminaries of Pakistan who are responsible for the most barbarous crimes, like throwing acid on the legs and faces of women who dont dress the way they want, or like chopping off the nose, ears, and lips of anyone who dares oppose them, especially if they happen to be suspected informers, surrendered local militants, elected officials or members of village defence committees. Whenever such crimes are reported if they are reported at all in the Paki media, it always says they were by "unindentified persons" rather than "mujahideen", which they always use when there is an attack on the Indian Army.

But the biggest and most pathetic lie by far is that the almost 400,000 Hindu Pandits (the original inhabitants of the Kashmir valley) who were slaughtered and then completely ethnically cleansed by the Pakistani backed Islamic militants in the early 90's and are now mostly residing in refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi, were in fact intentionally ordered to leave their homes by the Indian government in a conspiracy to defame the jihad. This is the most shameless of all their lies! When the jihad was launched in the early 90's for their "Nizam-e-Mustafa", and when the targeted killing of the Pandits started, there were notices plastered everywhere with slogans such as "be one with us, run or die" or "Asi gachchi Pakistan Batao roas te batanev san" (We want Pakistan, along with Hindu women, but without their men).

The Pakistani's have built up all these lies over time to disguise the fact that they have absolutely no leg to stand on in Kashmir. The military dictators who rule Pakistan have the gall to call for the freedom of Kashmir when they themselves are in power undemocratically. They call the elections in Indian Kashmir a sham and its democratically elected leaders Indian puppets, when in fact it is Pakistan occupied Kashmir where there isnt even a hint of democracy, instead being governed directly from Islamabad, when it is in this so called "Azad Kashmir" where there is little political dissent allowed and where all leaders holding office must swear allegience to the Pakistani state.

If the Kashmiris were allowed to choose their future, Hindu majority Jammu and Buddhist majority Ladakh would choose India in a heartbeat. The so called "Azad Kashmir" (which is mostly neither really part of Kashmir nor azad) would go to Pakistan as would the Northern Areas barring possibly Baltistan(?).

The Kashmir valley (which is what the conflict is really about and what Pakistan really wants) would choose independence if it were on the table (something neither country would ever seriously contemplate).

If India and Pakistan are the only choices its difficult to say who they'de choose if any. At the moment Pakistan (despite recent interesting survey's to the contrary) would still most probably enjoy greater support than India, because of the Kashmir valley's resentment towards the heavy Indian troop deployment there, but this doesnt by any stretch of the imagination mean they would want to join Pakistan. The Kashmiris know of the territory that Pakistan has unilaterally ceded forever to China without their permission, they know of the pathetically dysfunctional internal state of Pakistan and POK, thus as time passes by unless Pakistan can continue to flame the fires of jihad, they will eventually lose their influence with Kashmiri's, who will surely realise the numerous benefits of remaining within a secular, stable and increasingly prosperous India. The tide has already began to turn once again, this time against Pakistan and they know it, India just has to be patient and wait.

Another important thing in India's favour and something Pakistan has tried its level best to destroy is the concept of "Kashmiriyat". While Kashmiriyat has been torn to pieces and hanging by a thread today, the Kashmiri Hindus are still considered by the kashmiri muslims as an essential element of the valley's collective identity and till they fully return to their homes they feel they will not be complete. But few Hindu's are willing to risk their lives in returning, so long as the murderous jihadi's are still active. When they hopefully do one day return, they would never accept the valley becoming part of Pakistan, because they know what the position of the few Hindu's still left remaining in that so called "land of the pure". Should any attempt be made ever in this regard, the Hindu's of the valley would certainly demand for their "Punan Kashmir" homeland to be carved out the valley and given the status of a union territory of India.
Thus Pakistan would be the death of Kashmiriyat!

i have read what you have written with great interest and have certainly learnt a few things. i am a pakistani who's family moved from srinigar to pakistan at the the turn of the 20th century and now my family live in england. also recently i have begun to take more of an interest in this part of my heritage and think it is vital to hear all sides of the story to retain any form of truth. as someone with not a great deal of knowledge on the subject of kashmir all i really wanted to do was learn differing opinions on the matter of kashmir. however i do feel the need to ask you why you use the term 'paki". this term is undefendably racist and offensive. i respect your right to feel patriotic to india but there is no need for you to do this by disparaging another group of people by using a racial slurr that has many traumatic association for indians, pakistani's and bengali's alike (this is as many racist thugs find it impossible that to comprehend that all brown people didnt come from the same place). of course i also condmen the ignorant offensive terms used by 'anonymous' however you have used the term paki before this person insulted you. surely you accept the term has negative,offensive associations and if so how could you use such a term.

What have we here, another Indian Patriot? Wonderful - I thought I was the only NRI who cared. I'm from the USA, nice blog. It makes me sick to see the pak government use it's terrorists and propaganda to trick the poor kashmiris into believing that india is the evil agressor. i was just wondering why a kashmiri, or anybody for that matter, would want to become part of Pakistan as opposed to India. Pakistan is a Punjabi dominated, military dictatorship controlled by islamic extremists and other types of terrirists that has an economy worth almost nothing but is run by 50 families. India is a democracy that is known for it's amazing secularism, justice, liberalism, and equality. India also has an amazingly higher scope for economic happiness and growth. If you take three seconds and compare Srinagar with Muzaafarabad, or any other city pakistan, you will feel disgusted at what Pakistan has done with the land that our ancestors, as well as theirs, hail from. gah, i need to go vent somewhere. when i get out of college i'm going to go to india and start some sort of counter lakshar-e-taiba group. did you know that LeT has over 200 acres of training ground in Pakistan, and over 2200 offices? That's the Pakistan that those foolish "Azad Kashmiris" wish to join? Then there's the fact that Pakistan says that Kashmir should belong to Pakistan because it is a muslim majority territory. What about Lakshadweep? That's a muslim majority state, but Pakistan doesn't mention it. And if you go by that ideology, then Mizoram, Tripura, and that other territory out there should be part of the Vatican city, because they are Christian Majority places. wow, i wish there was more unity and organization amongst NRIs so that my word is actually heard..

"his term is undefendably racist"

Well Pakistani is a nationality, not a race. And ethnically and culturally they are the same as any other Indian so it's not really prejudicing anything besides the nation of Pakistan. And you are from Srinagar, so you have no affiliation with Pakistan right?

DO YOU KNOW WHY ZINAH ASK FOR PAKISTAN? LADY MOUNT BETTEN HATE THAT UGLY MAN ( ZINHA) AND LOVE TO jAWARLAL PANDIT AND ZINHA WAS JEALOUS, AND WANTED TO BE FIRST PRIMINISTER OF INDIA BUT THAT UGLY MEN HAS NO SUPPORT SO HE ASK FOR PAKISTAN AND LATER WITHIN 2 YEARS HE CRY...AND HE TOLD PPL HE MADE MISTAKE MAKING PAKISTAN BECOZ PPL DONT KNOW WHAT IS DEMOCRACY

Shivaii The Emperor -The Protector Of The Land And Its Dharma Shivaji established an independent empire that was a source of inspiration to all the Hindus. Yet he had not been crowned in accordance with the rites of the Shastras. Many, therefore, did not feel that he was truly the - King. So a great pundit from Kashi came down south to remedy this shortcoming in the life of Shivaji. This great pundit, Gagabhatta, crowned Shivaji King by name, in accordance with the rites of the Shastras. This great event took place in 1674. Shivaji was then 44 years of age. The towering fort of Raigadh became the capital. After touching his mother's feet and obtaining her blessings, Shivaji sat on a golden throne on the fort. Gagabhatta held over his head the golden umbrella, The symbol of Kingship, and proclaimed that Shivaji had become the Chatrapati. Women offered 'arati'. Sages and saints blessed him. The people assembled shouted in great joy "Victory to Shivaji Maharaj!" The cannons over the forts resounded. The Sultan of Bijapur and the English acknowledged Shivaji as an independent King and sent him gifts. Samarth Ramdas sang in praise of this great event: "The land and its Dharma have been uplifted. A kingdom of bliss has arisen.

Shivaji did not just content himself with establishing an independent kingdom by defeating his enemies. He also undertook reforms to make his people happy and contented. To him the people were the gods and he would let no one harm them. His soldiers had to go far to defeat the enemies. To these soldiers he had laid down a firm rule: "No harm should come to the people whom you meet on the way. Their standing crops should not be touched." Shivaji would always mete out severe punishment to those who disobeyed his orders. Shivaji was all affection for the poor farmers of villages. They were all, at that time, groaning under the injustice of wealthy Zamindars. Shivaji took over the land of such Zamindars and distributed them among the tillers of the soil.

Untouchability too was rampant, among the Hindus at that time as it is today. Society had branded some amongst its own members untouchables and had kept them at, a distance from the others. Shivaji loved them also. He invited them to join his army and promoted them, to high positions and offices in it. They too served Shivaji and looked up to him with great devotion. They struggled hard for the establishment of Swaraj. Many of them gave up their lives too fighting. Shivaji set an example to all Hindus that they belonging to the same faith should not hate one another.

Shivaji was also greatly interested in the education of the people. Sanskrit language had lost its glorious position. Everywhere Persian was being held up to esteem. Shivaji saw to it that Sanskrit words were substituted for Persian words.

Sometimes, Hindus who had been forced to become Muslims wished to go back. But the Hindus refused to take back such converts. Shivaji felt that this- was not right. So he reconverted all those who wished to return to their old faith. He also cast aside the foolish belief that it was sinful to undertake a journey on the seas. He undertook expeditions on the sea and established forts.

Shivaji was very angry with people who were corrupt or who worked against their country. He hated those who betrayed the land. He would have punished even his own son if the son had turned against his country. Shivaji was an embodiment of justice. He never showed any special favors to his relatives. He always encouraged those who were virtuous and meritorious. This enabled those who were virtuous to progress and occupy high places. There was no scope for selfish contrivers in his kingdom. In this manner Shivaji revolutionized every department. of life.

This is the thrilling tale of how Shivaji won Swaraj. As we read it don't we feel that we too should follow the example of Shivaji? Why is this so? It is because Shivaji underwent all hardships for the sake of his country, for the sake of its Dharma. He did not care for his own life and quite often entered the very jaws of death. Till his last breath he lived for his country and for the Dharma of the Hindus. It is nearly three hundred years since he died but the memory of this great man lights up the torch of inspiration.

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